Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Uganda's election: What next after the constitutional ruling?
I have been busy for the last six months and could not get back to you. This time around, we have political campaigns in the country for various election positions. The electoral commission nominated presidential candidates in October and campaigns kicked off around November last year.
Eight presidential candidates are in the race. Incumbent president Yoweri Museveni is seeking for the fourth term in office. Kizza Besigye, one time medical doctor and ally to Museveni is believed to be the strongest challenger. He is the Inter Party Cooperation joint candidate- a loose political group.
This is not the first time Besigye is challenging Museveni. In 2001, Besigye was a candidate under Reform Agenda after breaking away from Museveni’s National Resistance Movement. In 2006, Besigye was arrested and charged with treason and rape- cases that he won later. He was nominated while in prison but lost.
The race also involves presidential candidates like Betty Kamya, one time ally of Kizza Besigye in the Forum for Democratic Change party.
Other candidates in the race include Abedi Bwanika, Olara Otuunu, a former diplomat in the United Nations, Charles Lubega, Nobert Mao and Bidandi Sali, president Museveni’s former Minister of Local Government.
The presidential candidates are moving across the country canvassing votes promising better living standards to supporters.
Most of them are confident that, they will win.
What is not in dispute is that the latest polling opinions conducted put the incumbent President Museveni in the lead followed by Col. Kizza Besigye.
Even then, Besigye has declared on several occasions, he will announce his results soon after elections. Museveni has criticized him. Museveni says it is the electoral commission mandated to announce results. Museveni has also accused Besigye of propagating lies.
Some sections of communities are worried violence might brake out if elections are not properly conducted. There has been some silent hoarding of commodities like salt, sugar and soap as locals buy in bulk.
However, the government has assured the people, there will be no violence. The army officials were quoted in the local press saying Uganda will not experience the situation obtaining in Tunisia or Egypt.
As the polling day draws closer, the constitutional court ruling has created uncertainty on positions of members of parliament.
The constitutional court ruled that any member of parliament nominated outside their party position without resigning is null and void.
“You cannot in a multi-party political system continue to represent the electorate on a party basis in Parliament, while at the same time offering yourself for election for the next Parliament on the ticket of a different political party or as an independent,” the judges of the constitutional court ruled.
This situation has sent mixed feelings to various officials as the government is studying the judgment. Government officials here say the ruling will be challenged in the Supreme Court.
The ruling has not only created a situation of uncertainty on government Mps seeking re election but it has also shocked opposition.
The presidential candidate Beti Kamya is one of the persons affected by the ruling. She is a Member of Parliament under Forum Democratic Change ticket but is seeking election as president under Federal Alliance Party ticket.
The question now is whether this will have a strong bearing on the elections since the judges have also directed the electoral commission and parliament ‘to take note of the contents of the judgment and take appropriate action.’
As election date draws closer, opposition leaders have accused electoral commission for ordering excess ballot papers for the presidential candidates.
In response, the electoral commission insists ballot papers are only printed in bunches and will be accounted.
One such people accusing electoral commission of bias is Olara Otuunu.
Otuunu has been very critical of electoral commission and threatened to boycott the elections if the commission was not disbanded. However in October, he was one of first presidential candidates to be nominated.
What seems certain now is that come February 18, 2011, Ugandans will determine the destiny of their country through a ballot paper.
Eight presidential candidates are in the race. Incumbent president Yoweri Museveni is seeking for the fourth term in office. Kizza Besigye, one time medical doctor and ally to Museveni is believed to be the strongest challenger. He is the Inter Party Cooperation joint candidate- a loose political group.
This is not the first time Besigye is challenging Museveni. In 2001, Besigye was a candidate under Reform Agenda after breaking away from Museveni’s National Resistance Movement. In 2006, Besigye was arrested and charged with treason and rape- cases that he won later. He was nominated while in prison but lost.
The race also involves presidential candidates like Betty Kamya, one time ally of Kizza Besigye in the Forum for Democratic Change party.
Other candidates in the race include Abedi Bwanika, Olara Otuunu, a former diplomat in the United Nations, Charles Lubega, Nobert Mao and Bidandi Sali, president Museveni’s former Minister of Local Government.
The presidential candidates are moving across the country canvassing votes promising better living standards to supporters.
Most of them are confident that, they will win.
What is not in dispute is that the latest polling opinions conducted put the incumbent President Museveni in the lead followed by Col. Kizza Besigye.
Even then, Besigye has declared on several occasions, he will announce his results soon after elections. Museveni has criticized him. Museveni says it is the electoral commission mandated to announce results. Museveni has also accused Besigye of propagating lies.
Some sections of communities are worried violence might brake out if elections are not properly conducted. There has been some silent hoarding of commodities like salt, sugar and soap as locals buy in bulk.
However, the government has assured the people, there will be no violence. The army officials were quoted in the local press saying Uganda will not experience the situation obtaining in Tunisia or Egypt.
As the polling day draws closer, the constitutional court ruling has created uncertainty on positions of members of parliament.
The constitutional court ruled that any member of parliament nominated outside their party position without resigning is null and void.
“You cannot in a multi-party political system continue to represent the electorate on a party basis in Parliament, while at the same time offering yourself for election for the next Parliament on the ticket of a different political party or as an independent,” the judges of the constitutional court ruled.
This situation has sent mixed feelings to various officials as the government is studying the judgment. Government officials here say the ruling will be challenged in the Supreme Court.
The ruling has not only created a situation of uncertainty on government Mps seeking re election but it has also shocked opposition.
The presidential candidate Beti Kamya is one of the persons affected by the ruling. She is a Member of Parliament under Forum Democratic Change ticket but is seeking election as president under Federal Alliance Party ticket.
The question now is whether this will have a strong bearing on the elections since the judges have also directed the electoral commission and parliament ‘to take note of the contents of the judgment and take appropriate action.’
As election date draws closer, opposition leaders have accused electoral commission for ordering excess ballot papers for the presidential candidates.
In response, the electoral commission insists ballot papers are only printed in bunches and will be accounted.
One such people accusing electoral commission of bias is Olara Otuunu.
Otuunu has been very critical of electoral commission and threatened to boycott the elections if the commission was not disbanded. However in October, he was one of first presidential candidates to be nominated.
What seems certain now is that come February 18, 2011, Ugandans will determine the destiny of their country through a ballot paper.
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